Aug 12, Colombo: A group of residents of Bandarawela and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka have requested the Supreme Court to order the suspension of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project as it has been proved that it the project was carried out without a proper environmental assessment report.

Submitting an affidavit to the court, the request to halt the project was made when the court heard a petition filed by the residents against the project.

The petition claimed that the fundamental rights of the residents had been violated by damages to their homes and cultivations due to the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.

The petition was taken up by a three-member panel of judges comprising justices Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena and Nalin Perera.

The petitioners informed the court that the lives of the people of the area are shattered since the project was started without a proper environmental assessment report.

When the petition was taken up, President's Counsel W.D. Rodrigo, representing the Bar Association of Sri Lanka requested permission to intervene in the petition. He asked the court to give him an opportunity to represent the people rendered helpless by the project.

President's Counsel Rodrigo said representing the Bar Association of Sri Lanka he is requesting the court to stop the development project that has caused a huge damage to the environment and a huge loss to the people.

The court decided to take up the petition for consideration on September 29.